The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller — ARC Review

Summary:

Alessandra is tired of being overlooked, but she has a plan to gain power:

1) Woo the Shadow King.
2) Marry him.
3) Kill him and take his kingdom for herself.

No one knows the extent of the freshly crowned Shadow King’s power. Some say he can command the shadows that swirl around him to do his bidding. Others say they speak to him, whispering the thoughts of his enemies. Regardless, Alessandra knows what she deserves, and she’s going to do everything within her power to get it.

But Alessandra’s not the only one trying to kill the king. As attempts on his life are made, she finds herself trying to keep him alive long enough for him to make her his queen—all while struggling not to lose her heart. After all, who better for a Shadow King than a cunning, villainous queen?

Review: 4 Stars

The Shadows Between Us was a book that I was really excited about when I first saw it, but then I started to doubt that I would actually love it because it sounded like a romance. I am so glad that despite my doubts I still picked up a copy of The Shadows Between Us because it was such a fun read and I really enjoyed every minute of it. While I typically don’t love reading romances, this book made me miss the genre because it was just such an entertaining book. The flirtation and the dates made me smile and I found myself really loving the romance aspect of the book when typically that is my least favorite aspect of novels.

I really loved the characters in this book. Alessandra was my favorite character, I just loved reading from her perspective. She was so witty and kind of morally grey. I really just loved her as a character. I found her ruthless at times, but she was also incredibly fun and bold. All of the great things about a royal court setting were present in this novel, including court gossip, fancy balls and scheming plots and betrayal. I had a hard time setting down this book because it was never dull and I was entertained the whole way through.

The plot was fun and actually had some unexpected twists. I really enjoyed the enemies-to-lovers romance and Alessandra’s scheming made this book quite the ride. She was such a force of nature and I could really see why she would attract the king’s attention. Their flirty banter was so much fun to read and I loved them both. You could just feel their attraction for one another while reading and the dialogue really helped this book come to life. The plotting and scheming kept the book fun, but it was the characters that really drove this book forward.

The Shadows Between Us was a light fantasy read that a reader can devour very quickly. This book kept me entertained for hours and I hardly took breaks while reading. i don’t typically love romances, but The Shadows Between Us has me reconsidering the genre because the romance in this novel was one that I really loved. This is one of a few books that I’ve read that has an enemies-to-lovers romance and it’s quickly becoming one of my favorite tropes. I am really excited to check out Tricia Levenseller’s other books now that have been on my TBR for a while now because I loved this book so much I know that I will enjoy her other novels too.